Tag Archives: monkeypox virus

disease, drugs, Health, Public health

What You Should Know Regarding Monkeypox?

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Thousands of people have contracted monkeypox throughout the United States. The spread has been designated as an epidemic, which naturally arouses public concern. Discover who is at danger and how we can protect ourselves, our community, and our loved ones.

How does monkeypox spread?

It is essential to realize that viruses are not selective. They want just a host. The same holds true for monkeypox as for any other virus. To help reduce the spread of monkeypox, we must first eliminate its stigma. Anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, or sexual orientation, is vulnerable.

It is evident that monkeypox is transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact. Identifying and reducing high-risk behaviors and settings is the most effective method of disease prevention.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following behaviors enhance the likelihood of acquiring monkeypox:

  • Close contact with a person or individuals who have been diagnosed with monkeypox or with a person or persons who have a rash that resembles monkeypox.
  • Close or close personal contact with people infected with monkeypox in a social network. Social networks might include individuals met at pubs, parties, on websites or via apps.
  • Sexual contact or intimate behavior with several partners in places where monkeypox is known to occur.
  • Within 21 days after sickness start, travel outside the United States to a nation with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox is endemic.
  • Occupational exposure to monkeypox or other orthopoxviruses, such as testing laboratory personnel or some public health personnel. In these situations, the right use of personal protective equipment will aid in reducing danger.

How can I reduce my infection risk?

As with any infectious illness, the pillars of infection prevention and control may be applied: When you are unwell, you should wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, lips, and face, and avoid contact with others. Avoid prolonged physical contact, contact with respiratory secretions, and contact with products or textiles used by someone with monkeypox to reduce your chance of developing the disease.

Is a monkeypox vaccination available?

Kansas City has provided the University of Kansas Health System with a restricted amount of vaccination doses. The health care system administers vaccinations to people who fulfill the qualifying requirements. Currently, the CDC advises immunization against:

People who are aware that a sexual partner has been diagnosed with monkeypox during the preceding 14 days.

Individuals who have had several sexual partners in the preceding 14 days in an area where monkeypox is known to exist.

Individuals who have reported any of the following during the preceding 14 days:

  • Sex with numerous partners or multiple partners.
  • Sex at a commercial sex venue or in conjunction with an event, location, or specified geographic region where transmission of monkeypox has been recorded.
  • We are devoted to providing everyone with high-quality care. If you are a current patient of the health system and feel you fulfill any of the eligibility requirements, contact your primary care physician or provider (by phone, text message, or MyChart message) for further information.
  • We must collaborate to eliminate the stigma associated with this condition and prioritize wellness. We highly urge persons at high risk or who are worried to communicate honestly with their healthcare professionals.
disease, Health, Public health

Did you know that unvaccinated are 14 times more likely to get monkeypox, data from eligible shot recipients shows?

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Those who have not had the vaccine for monkeypox are 14 times more likely to get the illness than those who have, according to fresh, but limited, statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday morning.

The sampled population consists of males who engage in sexual behavior with other men or persons with several sexual partners. The figures provide our first glimpse at how effectively the JYNNEOS vaccine, the most effective method of protection against monkeypox, functions in the real world.

At a briefing on monkeypox held at the White House on Wednesday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said, “These new data give us cautious comfort that the immunization is functioning as planned.”

Dr. Demetre Daskalaskis, the White House’s deputy response coordinator for monkeypox, requested that individuals disseminate the “early good news.”

He said that “information is power” and that it empowers people to make health-related decisions with more knowledge and confidence.

What caused the dramatic reduction in monkeypox cases in the United States?

Since the beginning of the current outbreak, there has been little information on the effectiveness of the JYNNEOS vaccine, which was initially designed to combat smallpox.

Since the outbreak began in May, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health have conducted many studies into the safety and effectiveness of the JYNNEOS vaccine, mostly at the request of LGBTQ community activists.

Walensky also observed that the new data is only a glimpse, while being optimistic. Concerning the extent of JYNNEOS’s protection, several questions remain unresolved.

For instance, the new vaccination efficacy rate was not predicated on two doses given 28 days apart. Instead, it relied on information gathered two weeks after the first shot.

Even though the majority of federal public health experts advocate two doses, the CDC has not yet provided information on the effectiveness of the vaccine after all doses have been administered.

“These early results, together with similar findings from studies undertaken in other countries, suggest that even a single dose of the monkeypox vaccine gives at least some initial protection against disease. In spite of this, laboratory studies have shown that immune protection reaches its peak two weeks following the second vaccination dose, or “Wednesday,” as Walensky said.

She said, “Because of this, we continue to recommend that individuals get two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, 28 days apart, in order to provide robust, long-lasting protection against monkeypox.”

According to Walensky, further study is being conducted on the efficacy of two dosages.

The CDC has not yet separated the efficacy data for various injection techniques to see whether there are any differences between the current approach, in which a lower dosage is injected just beneath the skin, and the earlier way, in which a deeper injection is administered.

Also unclear is the extent to which changes in behavior might influence the effectiveness of the vaccination results.

If vaccinated individuals have fewer sexual partners and possibilities for skin-to-skin contact, they may be less likely to get monkeypox.

Eliminating monkeypox is feasible, according to experts, but containing the disease remains challenging.

According to Walensky, a key lesson from COVID-19 is that the CDC intends to make all of its existing data accessible in real time as soon as it becomes available, even while additional data are on the way.

“Through a portfolio of vaccine effectiveness programs, [the] CDC will continue to analyze how well these immunizations are functioning in the continuing outbreak. These endeavors will assist us in determining the extent and duration of the protection provided. “We’ll continue to provide you with further details as they become available,” Walensky added.

Even though the JYNNEOS vaccine is not yet approved for use by the general public, the CDC is expanding the number of at-risk Americans who are eligible to get vaccination against monkeypox.

The inclusion now includes gay or bisexual men who have had one recent romantic relationship or who have just received a new diagnosis of one or more STDs. It also includes sex workers.

Although many states and jurisdictions have already expanded eligibility, the CDC’s latest step puts it more in line with regional guidelines.

disease, Health, Public health

Monkeypox caused the death of a citizen of Los Angeles County

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Monkeypox caused the death of a citizen of Los Angeles County who had a weakened immune system, according to the announcement made by local health authorities on Monday. It is considered to be the first mortality in the United States caused by the illness.

A patient with the rash associated with monkeypox. Photo: Getty Images


The Department of Public Health for Los Angeles County made the announcement on the cause of death, and a representative for the department said that an autopsy verified the information. The patient had a significantly impaired immune system and had been admitted to the hospital. There was no more information about the individual that was made public.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors instances of the disease and reports that it has not been linked to any fatalities in the United States. Officials from LA County have said that they collaborated with the CDC on this matter.
 
When asked if this was the first death in the U.S., a CDC representative acknowledged that they were working together but didn’t answer right away.
 
On August 30, authorities from the Texas Department of Public Health stated that an individual who had been diagnosed with monkeypox had passed away. The individual was also critically immunocompromised, and an examination is now being conducted into their case to establish the possible impact that monkeypox had in their passing.
 
The virus that causes monkeypox is contagious and can only be passed from person to person via prolonged skin-to-skin contact. It may bring on symptoms such as a rash, fever, pains all over the body, and chills. The illness has been directly connected to the deaths of just a small number of individuals all across the globe, and hospitalizations and fatalities are quite uncommon.
 
People who are in close contact with someone who has the disease; people who are aware that a sexual partner was diagnosed within the past two weeks; and gay or bisexual men who have had multiple sexual partners within the past two weeks in an area where it is known that the virus is spreading are all encouraged to get the monkeypox vaccine. It is also suggested that health care workers who are at a high risk of exposure get vaccinations.

disease, Health, Public health

What is the unusual virus known as monkeypox that has now been verified in the United States and Europe?

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Primarily prevalent in Central and West Africa, monkeypox may be transmitted to both animals and humans.

Symptoms of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient’s hand, from a 2003 case in the United States. In most instances, the disease causes fever and painful, pus-filled blisters. New cases in the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal are spreading possibly through sexual contact, which had not previously been linked to monkeypox transmission.
CDC/Getty Images

Some illnesses confirmed in the United Kingdom have “no travel ties” to locations where monkeypox is present. An expert finds it remarkable that instances are surfacing simultaneously in many nations. The monkeypox virus is distinct from the coronavirus that shook the globe. Existing smallpox vaccines might protect the population in the event of an outbreak.

Katzourakis states: “We do not have the capability for anything to spread throughout the world at anywhere like the pace seen with covid.” The first documented monkeypox case in the United Kingdom moved to Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization. The CDC reports that six Americans are being screened for monkeypox after sitting near a British patient on an airplane. There are no evident connections between the most recent two cases and previous ones, suggesting the potential of community transmission. According to an expert, most Americans will never encounter a case of monkeypox in their lives.

Obtaining the genetic sequence of the virus responsible for recent instances will enable scientists to determine whether they are dealing with a novel strain. The 1980 elimination of smallpox has allowed residual poxviruses to circumvent dwindling defenses.